The Oscar flub: a “Harvey Mansfield” theory

Pricewaterhouse Coopers insists that the initial awarding of Best Picture to “La La Land” was the result of human error. No doubt, this is correct. I’m confident that the Academy intended to give the award to “Moonlight,” a film about African-Americans in Miami that was written by two African-Americans, one of whom directed it.

But here, mostly in jest, is an alternative theory based on the grading practice that Harvey Mansfield used at Harvard.

Mansfield strenuously opposes grade inflation. His response was to give his students two grades: the grade they deserved and the grade that Harvard wanted them to have in these inflationary times.

In the case of the Oscars, perhaps the Academy gave two best picture awards: one to the film it thought deserved the award and one to the film the crowd that has made such a racket about lack of diversity in Hollywood and at the Oscars wanted to see win.